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Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Germany’s Wuerttembergisch Unterland – Part I

What I Learned:

About 20 miles north of Stuttgart, Germany, there is a distinctive grape growing area. An unusual geological feature here is a fractured, limestone cliff with rock outcroppings that towers above the Neckar River. Known as the Felsengarten, this site is favored by local rock climbers, as well as wine lovers who delight in visiting the vineyards surrounding the cliff, and the local wine cooperative at the base of the cliff.

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Germany, Hiking

Riesling Wanderweg: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Felsengartenkellerei (FGK) Riesling Wanderweg (aka: Riesling Rundwanderweg)

Trail Type: mid-distance hiking circuit; paved in villages, and most vineyards, some hard-packed gravel, but also some dirt paths as well; trail itself is not particularly well maintained, but is marked in most places.

Length:

Longer route: circa 16 km/10 miles

Shorter route: 12.5 km/7.75 miles

Convenient to: Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

Marking: Green-colored gecko and trail name on a white background with “Felsengartenkellerei” written beneath.

 

Riesling Wanderweg Signage
Riesling Wanderweg Signage

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France, Hiking

Grand Wines, Grand Hike: Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus

Six small villages, nestled unobtrusively amidst the vineyards, hide a secret: some of the best wines in Alsace. The vineyards here aren’t just any sort of vineyards, rather they are Grands Crus; and the wines from these vineyards’ grapes create the highest quality wine in the hierarchy of Alsatian wine. Hiking through this area takes hikers gently past some of these renowned grand cru vineyards, and past the wineries that produce these fantastic wines. The combination of great wines to taste, and a well-laid out hike through the vineyards and associated villages, provides a wine-loving hiker an irresistible opportunity.

Grand Cru Mandelberg
Grand Cru Mandelberg

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Alsace Haut-Rhin

What I Learned:

Alsace is a fantastic wine country. Alsace’s Haut-Rhin (upper Rhine) area is particularly favored with great terroirs, such as the Mandelberg displayed above. Here, as elsewhere in Alsace, the harvests are primarily white varietals. The soil here is minerally, and complex, resulting in crisp, refreshing and uniquely flavored white wines. The six main white varietals grown in Alsace are Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. The only red varietal is Pinot Noir.

Visiting Alsace practically mandates you taste some local wine. First, you will notice the unusually tall wine bottles. You will also notice green-stemmed stemware, with smaller than usual bowls. These two unique items have more in common with German Rhineland traditions than French ones. But like the French tradition, wine producers proudly offer tastes of their product, for wine-making here is an art, and even nowadays, still a family affair.

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France, Hiking, Nutshell

Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus (also known as the Perles du Vignoble)

Trail type: Mid-distance hiking circuit; mostly paved, some hard-packed gravel; very well-maintained and well-marked.

Length: Total – 17 km/10.5 miles

Convenient to: Colmar, Alsace, France

Marking: Mostly gold letters on brown wooden background

Grands Crus Trail Marking
Grands Crus Trail Marking

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Hiking, Luxembourg

A Luxurious Christmas in Luxembourg

Celebrating the holiday season in luxurious style often involves a bit of sparkling wine, and Luxembourg sparkles in that regard. Spending Christmas in Luxembourg gave me the opportunity to sample Luxembourg’s sparkling wines, visit some caves, and hike two overlapping trails through vineyards stretching along the slopes of the Moselle Luxembourgeoise wine region.

Bech-Kleinmacher and the Moselle
Bech-Kleinmacher and the Moselle

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Luxembourg, Wines

Wine Notes: Luxembourg

What I Learned:

Little known, as not much is exported, Luxembourg’s wines are readily available and thoroughly enjoyed by residents and visitors in the Grand Duchy. For lovers of dry, white wines, this region provides some delicious alternatives to Alsatian or Rhine white wines.

From the towns of Schengen to Wasserbillig, Luxembourg joins the centuries old tradition of producing wines along the Moselle. On this west side of the river, local vintners grow their grapes mostly in terraces rising steeply from the narrow river plain for much of Luxembourg’s 42 kilometer stretch along the Moselle.

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Hiking, Luxembourg, Nutshell

Circuit Cremant and Auto Pedestre 1: A Nutshell on TWO Trails

Trail Names:

Circuit Cremant

Auto-Pedestre 1

Trail Types: 2 short distance circuits;

Cremant: Short hiking circuit; paved, well maintained and marked.

Auto-Pedestre 1: Short hiking circuit, some parts paved, some hard-packed, some soft dirt; some sections marked, but markings missing in a couple of crucial spots.

Lengths:

Cremant: 4.6 km/2.8 miles

Auto-Pedestre 1: 8 km/5 miles

Convenient to:

Luxembourg, Luxembourg, with local public transportation

Trier, Germany, with a car

Markings:

Cremant: Flute on a white pentagon, on red background with green edge

Auto-Pedestre 1: Black “1” on a blue triangle on white rectangular sign

(Note: The photo’s blue hexagon with a yellow rectangle is the sign for the Sentier de la Moselle, described below.)

 

Signage for Auto Pedstre 1 and Cremant Trails
Signage for Auto Pedstre 1 and Cremant Trails

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